Trianne's earth-shattering "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" was like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake!
"Pfft— BWAHAHAHAHA!" Cyrene, who had been wearing a mask of "sincerity" just moments before, was the first to break. She slapped the table, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over.
"BAHAHAHA! Phaethon! Your face! You actually believed it?!" Phainon's composure shattered instantly too. He laughed uproariously, slapping his thigh, the earlier "nonchalance" completely gone.
It was as if a magical switch had been flipped. The small courtyard instantly sprang to life!
"Little Whitey, happy birthday!" Teacher Tribbie's voice, a mix of helplessness and affection, came from inside. She walked out side-by-side with Trinnon, both wearing smiles.
"Phaethon sweetie, happy birthday!" Hyacine, holding little Ica, peeked out from a room, her face lit with barely contained mirth. "Your reaction when you came in, and that 'Thank you, Cyrene-sis, it's delicious' was just too adorable!"
"Lord Phaethon, happy birthday!" Castorice carefully emerged, carrying an extraordinarily gorgeous, three-tiered cake adorned with starlight frosting and glowing berries. Her amethyst eyes were brimming with laughter.
"Phaethon, happy birthday." Aglaea, holding a box containing a meticulously tailored set of clothes, had appeared at the courtyard gate without anyone noticing.
(Aglaea: I really couldn't trust Phaethon's fashion sense... better to just make it myself...)
Though her expression was still as placid as ever, the depths of her emerald eyes clearly conveyed gentle blessings.
"Happy Birthday, Phaethon (my friend)!" Elliott and Evelyn also appeared, smiling from a corner of the yard.
Finally, a figure Phaethon absolutely never expected to see stepped out from the shadows—Professor Anaxa!
He crossed his arms, his expression as stern and unyielding as ever, but his tone was surprisingly devoid of its usual scolding. "Hmph, my disappointing stud— never mind. The occasion is special today, so I won't berate you. Happy Birthday." This was probably the most "gentle" blessing he could muster.
Phaethon, holding the small box Trianne had thrust into his arms, looked at the laughing, hysterical forms of Cyrene and Phainon, then at the large circle of people who had suddenly materialized around him.
The expressions on his face went through a spectacular range—from shock, to bewilderment, to not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and finally...
"You... you all..." He pointed at Cyrene and Phainon, momentarily speechless. "Well! Cyrene! Phainon! You two! You teamed up with all these people to trick me?!" His voice rose an octave, filled with dramatic "accusation."
"Don't drag me into this. It was this brat Phainon who roped me in. It was his idea," Anaxa said, arms still crossed. "And he didn't mention Aglaea would be here either."
Cyrene, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, waved her hands dismissively. "What, you can't blame this all on me! The idea was this kid Phainon's! He said you'd definitely be on your guard when you returned, so we should do the opposite—let you feel disappointed first to make the surprise even bigger! Right, Phainon? ♪"
Phainon immediately deflected. "Phaethon! Don't just single me out! Cyrene 'coerced' me into participating!"
"And besides! Whose fault is it for coming back so late?! Hyacine returned ages ago. Everything was already set up, just waiting for you! We waited and waited, and only I came back with Teacher Tribbie! I'd already experienced the surprise once; acting it out again with you would be so boring!"
Phaethon looked at Phainon's smug face, then at the surrounding crowd trying to hold back their laughter, then at the "evidence" of the bland noodles on the table.
Finally, all his feigned "anger" melted into a long sigh and an irrepressible glint of amusement in his eyes. He deliberately put on a stern face, turned his head away, and snorted.
"Hmph... You're all ruthless! Well, none of you are leaving tonight!" He rolled up his sleeves, striking a pose ready for action.
"To 'repay' you for your meticulously prepared 'surprise,' I'll be personally cooking tonight's birthday feast! I'll show you what real deliciousness means!"
"YAY—!!!" Cyrene and Trianne were the first to cheer, their eyes sparkling as if they could already smell the delicious food.
"Oh? Phaethon Sweetie is cooking himself? Fantastic!" Hyacine clapped her hands excitedly.
"Need any help with the preparations?" Castorice asked, still holding the cake.
Seeing the cheering crowd, Phaethon could no longer maintain his stern expression. The corners of his mouth lifted into a high smile. He turned to the still-celebrating Cyrene and added:
"However, Cyrene sis—" He pointed at the bowl of noodles on the table. "In light of your superb 'acting' and this 'exquisitely prepared' longevity noodle... you get no share of tonight's dishes!"
The smile on Cyrene's face froze instantly, immediately replaced by a pitiful expression. She rushed over, grabbing Phaethon's arm and shaking it.
"Ah?! Nooo~ Little Whitey! Your Cyrene-sis was wrong! Cyrene-sis apologizes! Cyrene-sis can wash the dishes! A hundred dishes! Please let Cyrene-sis have just one bite! Just one! ♪"
"Hmph!" Phaethon turned his head away with an air of haughtiness, but the laughter in his eyes was impossible to hide.
The small courtyard was filled with the sounds of joyous laughter and warm commotion, gently enveloped by the glow of the Dawnbringer's Radiance, wrapping the birthday warmth in a soft embrace.
...
Cyrene found herself completely "exiled" from the kitchen, left to cling to the doorframe, staring wistfully inside, her nose twitching as she inhaled the increasingly rich and tantalizing aromas. She muttered incessantly under her breath, "Smells so good... is that braised pork? And steamed fish? Those golden things... are they fried prawn balls? Oh heavens... Little Whitey, you're so cruel... ♪"
When dish after dish of beautifully presented, fragrant, and undoubtedly delicious food was carried out to the long, makeshift table (now covered with a brand new tablecloth), the courtyard erupted into even louder cheers than before.
"WAAH—!!!" Trianne was the first to rush to the table. Looking at the plates of glistening, temptingly colored delicacies, she almost drooled.
"This is amazing, Phaethon sweetie!" Hyacine exclaimed, clapping her hands.
"It looks absolutely delicious!" Castorice praised, her amethyst eyes reflecting the sheen of the food.
Even Aglaea paused her mutual sneering with Anaxa, her emerald eyes carefully scanning each dish before giving a slight, appreciative nod.
"Little Whitey~ Cyrene-sis has never asked you for anything..." Cyrene pleaded, her eyes begging.
"Don't even start..." Phaethon retorted, though not unkindly, as he set a place for her with a knife and fork. "But all the washing up tonight is on you, Cyrene-sis."
"Yay!" Cyrene's despair instantly turned to joy, and she pulled Hyacine aside to discuss which part of the cake to cut first after the meal.
When everyone was pleasantly full and the atmosphere was at its warmest and most harmonious, Castorice stood up and solemnly brought out the magnificent three-tiered cake, shimmering with starlight and glittering berries.
"WOW—!!!" This time, it was a collective gasp of awe from everyone.
Under the soft light of the Dawnbringer's Radiance, the cake seemed to hold a tiny, dreamy starry sky within it, breathtakingly beautiful.
The candles were lit, their small flames dancing.
"Phainon, Phaethon, make a wish!" everyone chorused.
Phainon and Phaethon exchanged a glance, then both closed their eyes...
*Huu—*
The candles were blown out, and applause and cheers erupted once more.
"PHAININ, PHAETHON, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"
(Golden Finger: Awoo~ Happy Birthday! Though a human's birthday is but a fleeting moment, considering your importance... Hmph! Happy Birthday!